Should most adults deliberately eat a high-fiber diet to improve gut microbiome function and overall health?

“the food that you're putting into your body is the best nutrients for your gut microbiome is fiber.”

“Not all fibers are created equal ... some fibers provide primarily microbiome support because they're actually fermented by gut microbiomes. Some fibers Can improve blood sugar ... and others simply bulk up stool.”

“Viscous fiber is able to absorb water and create a gel, a viscous gel in the gut. ... this can lead to slower gastric emptying. It can blunt blood sugar spikes, contributes to lower cholesterol, though I would argue not so meaningfully that we should rely on this for lipid management.”

“Insoluble fibers obviously do not dissolve in water. ... These are the ones that I talked about earlier. They are essentially there to bulk up stool, mechanically stimulating the gut lining to release water and mucus, to dilute irritants and toxins in the colon, and speed up intestinal transit. So most insoluble fibers are also not fermented by gut bacteria.”

“if you suddenly go from 5 to 10 grams to 30, your microbes can't acclimate as quickly. So doing it slowly over time is really important.”

“there was also habituation. You don't go from consuming six grams of fiber per day to 25. They ramped”

“But they bring so much more. Right? So yes, there's fiber in fruits and vegetables, but there's also all sorts of polyphenols, right? All sorts of non-nutrient components that themselves may have benefits for health that we don't fully understand yet that feed your gut, that are maybe just as relevant, that may enhance fiber's impact on health.”

“Fiber, depending on the type of cholesterol, will actually bind to the cholesterol and clear it from the system.”

“If you eat more fiber, you're meeting your fiber goals, you're going to poop more often and you should embrace that side of you.”

“Fiber is their food, right? And again, fiber is not just one thing. ... Your gut and those bacteria want a diversity of plant-based fibers ... for women. That is 25 grams if you're under 50. It's 21 if you're over 50.”

“if I've been living with a microbiome that is not used to fiber. You can't suddenly be like, whoa, like over the system. If you're going to cause gas, you're going to cause bloating, you may well cause diarrhea. But not if you start low and go slow.”

“if we didn't have those microbes and we weren't producing those short chain fatty acids, they've done these studies. I mean, this is the reason why high fiber diet, it's associated with lower risk of dementia, of cardiovascular disease.”

“You eat fiber to feed your microbes. Your microbes that are living in your microbiome, they need fiber to survive.”

“once you are meeting your fiber goals, assuming there's not something else going on, like with pelvic floor dysfunction, it's an in and out job.”

“Fibers for farting. So you're looking at a gut biome, right? And so tell me what you think that is.”

“with fiber, it's kind of like a bell curve. Most of us are somewhere around the middle where we can handle a, you know, a certain amount ... some people need less, right? They actually need less, and they're the people that seem to do well on carnivore diets”

“If you're somebody that thrives on a very high fiber diet, you just have more energy, you have better stools, better digestive health, better brain function, then stick with a higher fiber diet until, you know, you don't feel as good.”

“if we didn't have those microbes and we weren't producing those short chain fatty acids, they've done these studies. I mean, this is the reason why high fiber diet, it's associated with lower risk of dementia, of cardiovascular disease.”

“Viscous fiber is able to absorb water and create a gel, a viscous gel in the gut. ... this can lead to slower gastric emptying. It can blunt blood sugar spikes, contributes to lower cholesterol, though I would argue not so meaningfully that we should rely on this for lipid management.”

“But they bring so much more. Right? So yes, there's fiber in fruits and vegetables, but there's also all sorts of polyphenols, right? All sorts of non-nutrient components that themselves may have benefits for health that we don't fully understand yet that feed your gut, that are maybe just as relevant, that may enhance fiber's impact on health.”

“Fiber, depending on the type of cholesterol, will actually bind to the cholesterol and clear it from the system.”

“if I've been living with a microbiome that is not used to fiber. You can't suddenly be like, whoa, like over the system. If you're going to cause gas, you're going to cause bloating, you may well cause diarrhea. But not if you start low and go slow.”

“Fibers for farting. So you're looking at a gut biome, right? And so tell me what you think that is.”

“Viscous fiber is able to absorb water and create a gel, a viscous gel in the gut. ... this can lead to slower gastric emptying. It can blunt blood sugar spikes, contributes to lower cholesterol, though I would argue not so meaningfully that we should rely on this for lipid management.”

“Fiber, depending on the type of cholesterol, will actually bind to the cholesterol and clear it from the system.”

“Fibers for farting. So you're looking at a gut biome, right? And so tell me what you think that is.”

“But they bring so much more. Right? So yes, there's fiber in fruits and vegetables, but there's also all sorts of polyphenols, right? All sorts of non-nutrient components that themselves may have benefits for health that we don't fully understand yet that feed your gut, that are maybe just as relevant, that may enhance fiber's impact on health.”

“You eat fiber to feed your microbes. Your microbes that are living in your microbiome, they need fiber to survive.”

“if I've been living with a microbiome that is not used to fiber. You can't suddenly be like, whoa, like over the system. If you're going to cause gas, you're going to cause bloating, you may well cause diarrhea. But not if you start low and go slow.”

“if we didn't have those microbes and we weren't producing those short chain fatty acids, they've done these studies. I mean, this is the reason why high fiber diet, it's associated with lower risk of dementia, of cardiovascular disease.”